Pirated Memories
by Pleading Eyes
Summary: Memory is a funny thing. It's suggestible, easily skewed, and colored by our perspective. Especially if your perspective is TOTALLY AWESOME! All hands on deck!


**Pirated Memories**

It was usually Maya who put him to bed. Even though the boy was starting to protest such mother-henning nowadays, having been born bright and now slowly growing into the age where he thought he was too grown-up and independent to be tucked in at night. Still, Maya was difficult to say no to, and Edgeworth was both amused and sympathetic to how she could coax little Gregory into letting her kiss his forehead and fuss over him a bit at bedtime.

Years ago Edgeworth had been worse, hadn't he? Antisocial, private, contact-phobic, and far too proud to accept any sort of assistance or outward display of affection. But Maya, persistent if not overly-physical charmer that she was, had managed to wriggle her way through his anxieties and his pride. And now, what had begun as a simple developing tolerance towards her affections, had become a genuine need. Although he was still a proper and unusually stiff man in public, at home he craved Maya's attentions. A tight embrace, a lingering kiss; Maya occasionally teased him for seeking a hand to hold more often than he asked for sex!

Not that Edgeworth was deprived that either. Maya was all too happy to instigate intimacy whenever possible, and he could never deny her. But old habits die hard and despite all the progress he'd made, Edgeworth was still uncomfortable with asking Maya for his husbandly rights. He much preferred to respond to her advances, but not to say he didn't enjoy her. Though he didn't possess nearly the libido that his ever-energetic wife did, it would be a lie to say he did not have times when he shyly turned to her in bed and rubbed her back hesitantly, like a chastised child seeking approval. Maya teased him for this too, asking him between giggles when he would learn that her answer would always be yes.

Maya spoiled him a bit, truth be told. Edgeworth knew from overheard coworkers' stories (why they had to socialize so loudly and so close to his office was unfathomable to Edgeworth, and it irked him endlessly) that it was not unusual for a wife to put her husband out on the couch when she was unhappy with him. Despite his best efforts, Edgeworth knew that he was somewhat of an emotional dunce and had inadvertently hurt Maya many times. And yet, even at her most furious, Maya had never sent him away. There had been times when he had upset her enough that she had refused to speak to him for a while, but even then she had never withheld her goodnight kiss. He had tried asking her once, as difficult as it had been for him to discuss such matters, and Maya's reasoning-as always-was just outside the realm of his grasp. She explained that he had been denied affection for far too many years, and that she would never do that to him. She fervently insisted that her love was unconditional, and that nothing he was capable of would ever turn her from him, no matter how frustrating he could be. It baffled Edgeworth, but he'd taken Maya at her word and she had never broken it. Save for one time...

It was when she'd discovered she was pregnant. Edgeworth had been adamantly against it. It wasn't that he did not like the concept of children, but he hardly had the patience nor the gentility for them. Edgeworth knew he was a cold man, and back then he'd still struggled with tolerating physical affections for extended periods of time without becoming anxious, uncomfortable, and sometimes confrontational. He hated that this shortcoming hurt Maya, but he always tried to make it up to her and she understood his effort. But a child wouldn't. A child didn't have the choice to be with or without him like Maya did. A child wouldn't understand why his or her father wouldn't hold them, wouldn't play with them, why he was never pleased with them. Edgeworth knew better than to believe that he was unaffected by his upbringing in the von Karma household, and he hated the thought of treating a child the way he was raised simply because he knew no other way. And so Edgeworth had demanded Maya be rid of the thing. She'd never stricken him before that, but he learned that day how deceiving Maya's petite appearance really was. The girl had one hell of a right hook.

The entire pregnancy had been a nightmare. He wouldn't touch her, mostly out of fear of causing harm to her or the child and partly because knowing a child-_his _child-was growing inside of her freaked him the hell out. But Maya hadn't known his reasons, and just knew he was distancing himself. Looking back, he realized she must have been terrified and so alone. She never showed it. Maya had stayed strong in her resolve and left for Kurain without a a glance back. Edgeworth had hated himself for that, for losing the one good thing in his life that might have had a chance of lasting, and it was only then, when he'd been forced back into a life with no contact, that he had learned to appreciate such things. Those had been a few of the more excrutiating months of Edgeworth's adult life.

She'd returned a few days before she was due, explaining that she wanted to be closer to the hospital for her delivery. He didn't know how such a heavily pregnant woman had seduced him, or why she still wanted such a coward for a husband. But lying there with her post-coital, feeling the soft puffs of air on his chest as she caught her breath, burying his face in the sweet scent of her hair, he promised her he'd do his best. He would at least provide for the child, protect him or her, and offer tutoring for academics. Maya would just have to love the child twice as much in his place.

Life had a strange way of turning on its head when he was with Maya. From the moment she had first ignored his protests and stuffed the newborn child in his arms, he had been smitten. He'd still kept a fair distance during the boy's infancy, due to his low tolerance for grating noise and filth, but he had gone to absurd lengths to guarantee that the child had the best of everything; a hand carved Italian crib, more hypoallergenic plush toys than any single child would ever need, and the most expensive organic baby food available even though Gregory was still breast feeding. If no one was around, he'd even sit by Gregory's crib and hum or read to the sleeping infant. And once the boy began speaking, the two were inseparable. He was such a bright child, and Edgeworth took great delight in getting the boy to logically explain his child's perspective on everything. Maya would roll her eyes and say that the boy would never get any good at walking with Edgeworth carrying him everywhere.

To be honest, as proud as Edgeworth was of all his boy's achievements, he was a little sad to see him grow up. He missed the days when Gregory was content to fall asleep in his lap while he did paperwork. Nowadays he thought himself too adult to sit in father's lap, and sighed in exasperation whenever he was hugged, whining that he wasn't a child anymore. Maya assured Edgeworth that it was just a phase, but it was easy for her to say when she knew just how to swindle the boy into accepting her fussing. Edgeworth wasn't so socially skilled, and just had to accept the fact that his baby boy no longer ran to the door and threw his arms around father whenever Edgeworth came home.

That's what made tonight all the more of a treat. With Maya asleep-and he wished she'd let him take her to see a doctor, she'd been feeling faint all day-it fell to Edgeworth to put Gregory to bed. Though he did not outwardly show it, Edgeworth was deeply let down at how little was needed of him. Gregory was already changed, had brushed his teeth, and tucked himself in before Edgeworth even entered the room. Yes, he'd finished all his homework. Yes, he had enough blankets. No, he'd already served himself a glass of water in case he woke up in the middle of the night and did not need Edgeworth to fetch him one. Eight years old and he had the foresight to prepare in case of a nightmare. Sometimes Edgeworth worried that the boy was a little too mature for his age; he hoped Gregory didn't have trouble making friends at school.

It was with nostalgia weighing heavily in his heart that Edgeworth nodded and turned to retire for the night. Then, oddly, he felt a small hand lunge out to grab his large one.

"Wait. Um..." Gregory blushed a bit, embarrassed for displaying such weakness in front of his hero, and lowered his gaze. "Is mommy going to be okay?"

Edgeworth blinked, moving back to reclaim his seat by Gregory's bed. So young, but not a fool by any means. Gregory didn't have to be told, he knew when something was wrong. "Yes, Gregory. She's just a little tired."

Gregory nodded but did not loosen his grip. "I just worry about her..." His innate maturity may have been a trait he inherited from Edgeworth, but his kindness and compassion were definitely traits of his mother's. "Could you... " he lowered his voice in shame and mumbled the rest of his sentence, "maybe tell me a story? To help me sleep?" Gregory's ability to pleasantly surprise Edgeworth was another trait he'd inherited from Maya. He hadn't read Gregory to sleep in years and Edgeworth jumped at the chance, pulling a book off of the shelf at random.

"Ah, here we have... A Midsummer Night's Dream. Fitting, don't you think?"

Gregory nodded, smiling an all too familiar smile. It still threw Edgeworth for a loop, how similar they were. It was like looking at an old photograph of himself, only this child would never grow into the later ones, would never lose the boyish spark in his eyes or the genuine happiness in his countenance. Edgeworth would make sure of it.

"Alright then." Edgeworth opened the book in his lap, utilizing all his willpower not to smile too wide and humiliate Gregory further. "Scene 1, Athens. The palace of Theseus. Enter Theseus, Hippolyta, Philostrate, and attendants. Theseus: Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour/ Draws on apace; four happy days bring in-"

"BORING!"

Edgeworth and Gregory both started at the interruption with an audible "GACK!"

Maya laughed as she sauntered in. "I'm sure he gets enough classic lit at school. Cut the kid some slack! He wants to go to sleep with good thoughts, not wanting to jump off a bridge from boredom."

"Shakespeare isn't boring!" They both protested in harmony, which only served to amuse Maya further.

"I'm not saying it's _always _boring, but wouldn't you rather hear something new? Something exciting?"

"Maya, should you really be up and about?" Maya plopped herself in his lap in response without missing a beat. Edgeworth dropped the book without care, scrambling to adjust so he could properly support her. She could be so reckless...

"Ooh, I know! How about a pirate story? Swashbuckling and adventure on the high seas!" Her eyes glistened with inspiration. Edgeworth knew that look all too well. It was simultaneously one of the things he both adored and dreaded about Maya. He never knew what craziness she was up to when she had that look.

"Pirates? Really mom?" Gregory scoffed. "Pirates were nothing but common criminals that caused severe devastation to the trade industry and the communities that relied on it as their only source of essential goods back in those times, and despite how popular culture has romanticized them, they continue to be a serious real-world threat in still-developing nations such as Somalia."

Maya sat speechless, robbed of her usual loquaciousness.

Edgeworth smirked against the back of her head, beaming proudly at his boy.

"Wow, you really are your father's son." Maya shook her head, laughing a bit to relieve the tension. "Okay fine, what kind of story would you like to hear?"

Edgeworth had to wonder about that. When Maya set her mind to something, it was nearly impossible to change her mind. Was she that tired?

"Mmm, I don't know…" Gregory tapped a finger against his forehead in thought; another odd quirk he had picked up from his father. Then suddenly, he turned to Maya with an enthusiasm only she could rival. "Wait, yes I do! Tell me about how you and father got together!"

There Edgeworth had to intervene. While he and Maya had never lied to Gregory, there were certain things they omitted. Gregory didn't know about his father's dark past, and Edgeworth saw no reason to shatter the boy's opinion of his father or of the world. As far as Gregory knew, the grandpa he was named after had died when father was a boy, father had been adopted by a man named von Karma, and that's why Aunt Franziska had a different last name. That was it. No further elaboration required. How could Edgeworth possibly explain to his child that von Karma had actually murdered his grandfather, and that his father had grown up blaming himself for the death? _Why _would Edgeworth want Gregory to know the horrific psychological, emotional, and occasionally physical abuse that his father has suffered at von Karma's hands? Telling Gregory the unfortunate events that had eventually led his parents to one another required too much backstory. Otherwise, how could Edgeworth explain why he had first tried to land Maya the death penalty without even knowing her, despite obvious flaws in the evidence?

"Now Gregory, it isn't polite to pry—"

"You got it, Gregors!" Maya smiled triumphantly. Dear stars, what in the world was she up to now?

"Maya, is that really prudent?" He whispered anxiously.

"Oh bah! You're both such worrywarts." Maya craned her neck back to give him a pouting glare. "Let the defense speak her piece!"

Years of marriage and fatherhood had also taught Edgeworth when to shut his mouth.

"As you wish…"

"Aaaaas I was saying…"

_You remember how I told you that I used to work for Uncle Nick when I was younger? Well, Uncle Nick and mommy had a few cases that involved father. But that's another story. After all the cases and craziness, you know how Uncle Nick lost his badge?_

"Mom, if you know I already know this stuff, why are you telling me again? Father said it's important to keep what you have to say succinct otherwise you lose your audience."

"Well excuuuuuse me, Prince of public speaking. It's called exposition, for your information. Anyway…"

_After losing his badge, Uncle Nick threw a bit of a fit and sent himself on a personal time out._

"Maya, that's hardly fair. He was investigating the man who had framed him, whom he knew to be a murderer. He simply didn't want us in the line of fire."

"And a 'personal time-out'? Do I look five?"

"Okay, do you two want me to tell the story or not?"

"…"

"…"

"Fine then. I'm never telling either of you a story again."

"No, no, no, no, no! I'm sorry, I'll behave!"  
"Forgive my rudeness, Maya, I won't interject again." They both tripped over the other's words, desperate for forgiveness. Neither of them wanted to upset her.

"That's better."

_Since your father and I were both pretty sad about losing our best friend Nick, we kinda started talking to each other more. Talking turned into hanging out, and hanging out turned into us becoming super close. But with me out of a job, it was getting harder and harder to pay for my apartment. Your father shyly offered me this very room to sleep in—it was the guest room back then—but I refused._

"But I thought you said the two of you were super close! Why would you say no?"

"I didn't want to, Gregory. But I had no choice. I had responsibilities elsewhere…"

_ "I'm sorry Miles, but I can't stay with you. Because… I'M BEING FORCIBLY WED TO MY BETHROTHED! THE PIRATE KING!"_

"Wait, what?" Gregory raised a brow. Edgeworth rolled his eyes. He knew it. When Maya set her mind to something, she'd get her way. "You can't be serious! Father, she's not serious!"

"I don't remember any pirates." Edgeworth would not lie to his son.

"Aww, you don't?" Maya turned to cup Edgeworth's cheeks and gave him the most pitying look. "My poor Miles is getting old."

_BUT YES PIRATES! That's why your father wears a cravat. Obviously._

_And so, with no time to spare, Miles Ishmael Edgeworth went to ye Olde Pasta Shop and commandeered a boat to chase down his beloved and rescue her from the Pirate King's wicked clutches!"_

"Ishmael?"

"You really don't remember this, Miles?"

Okay, so he wouldn't lie, but considering Maya's state, Edgeworth reasoned that it might be best to play along. "Refresh my memory. Then what happened?"

_And so, he set off on his quest with his trusty first mate._

_"Swab the poop deck, pal?" He was a large and scruffy sailor. Such a rapscallion was the first mate, that even his eye patch wore an eye patch! Though that may have also been because your father kept cutting his salary. Anyway!_

_"But... why do I have to use a q-tip? Can't I use a mop?"_

_"Posh! That wouldn't be SWABBING, now would it? That would be MOPPING! Now get to work!" Said the strapping buccaneer known as Captain Miles Sparrow Edgeworth in his finest navy britches and coat!"_

"So now I'm Captain Jack?

Maya traced Edgeworth's jaw thoughtfully. "Mhm. You were scruffier then too."

_Oh yeah. He also had some stubble. Not a full on beard, just a bit of a shadow. You know, not so much that it looks dirty, but enough so it's really sexy._

"Moooooom…!"

Edgeworth chuckled, inwardly pleased with the unexpected attention Maya was giving him. "Oh I was, hmm? You really enjoy it before I shave in the morning, don't you?"

"Sometimes..." Maya's gaze grew a little distant for a moment as she considered the question, and then she pecked his smooth cheek. "Truth is, I enjoy you in all forms. Changing it up is just fun!"

"Ahh, good to know."

"Gross!" Gregory gagged, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "Can we just get back to the story? I do have school in the morning, so getting to bed sometime tonight would be ideal."

"Sheesh, Gregory. What eight year old boy WANTS to get to bed on time?" Maya sighed. "You really gotta loosen up a bit, kiddo."

_The chase was ON!_

"Uh, mom? How did father chase down the Pirate King's ship in a dinky boat from Gourd Lake?"

_Um... He upgraded on the way. And... had some parts imported from Europe. And he hired a decorator! Soon the whole ship was totally pimped out with chrome canons and manly bows with maroon colored wooden planks and the sails were all embroidered!_

_It took three days of nonstop sailing, but Captain Miles Blackbeard Edgeworth would not be deterred. He took no time to rest, but was relentless at the wheel. Only thoughts of his love kept him going..._

Edgeworth gave Maya a gentle squeeze. "Blackbeard now?"

"You're remembering?" Maya grinned at him. Edgeworth just tucked her hair behind her ear gingerly.

_So on the dawn of the third day, he docked on the enemy ship!_

"Boarded, mom. Docking is the nautical equivalent of parking. If he's moving from one ship to another, then he's boarding."

_So on the dawn of the third day, he boarded the enemy ship! The evil Pirate King von Karma didn't know what had hit him!_

_"YOU…! MILES POPEYE EDGEWORTH! Put up your arms, you scallywag!" The Pirate King exclaimed as he raised his sword._

"Ah, it's... starting to come back." Ignoring the glaring mistake in his fictional name—Popeye wasn't even a pirate!—Edgeworth silently willed Maya to proceed with caution. He understood her meaning. Much of Edgeworth's neuroses and social follies were a direct result of his rough handling by von Karma. Back then, Edgeworth had begun to develop feelings for Maya early on, but his own fears, self-deprecation, and pride had kept him from admitting it even to himself. In a sense, von Karma was the metaphorical 'Pirate King' standing between Captain Edgeworth and his beloved. Maya's logic may have been bizarre, but there was no doubting her wit.

"Well, come on then." Maya gave him an encouraging look, which made Edgeworth worry he had dug his own grave. "Don't you remember what you said?"

" Hmm... " Edgeworth bit his bottom lip, wishing he had even an ounce of his wife's creativity. "Was it along the lines of 'Objection'?"

Maya's expression fell and she patted his thigh condescendingly. The nerve! He was a genius! He would not stand—nor sit—for such treatment!

"Or was it more like," Pirate speak, no, perhaps noble. His pirate self was an educated gentleman, "lay down your sword, 'tis futile to resist, for I have come for the maiden you have stolen!"

"Yes! Now you remember!" She threw her arms around his neck, nearly choking him with the sudden unexpected weight, and laughed. Gregory was giving him an incredulous look as if his father had just sprouted a second head, but perhaps Maya was right; the boy needed to loosen up a bit. Lead by example, correct?

"And what was the Pirate King's retort, Maya?"

"He said…"

_"Ye'll nevar take 'er alive, matey!"_

_Then they both put up their rapiers!_

_"Engarde!"_

_"Corrida!"_

"Hahaha, Manella?" Edgeworth couldn't help but laugh. Only Maya could find a way to insert something which seemed absurd into an already standing absurdity.

"What?" Maya tilted her head innocently. "Isn't that what sword fighters say?"

"It's touché, mom. The instigator says 'engarde' and then their opponent responds 'touché'." Gregory rested his chin in his palm and yawned, looking more curious over his father's decision to participate in this nonsense rather than the story itself.

"Right, right. I was just testing you."

_ "Yarg!" said von Karma as he lunged._

_"Touche, you wretched knave!" Miles Sinbad Edgeworth drew his sword to parry._

_"Whoa!" said the prisoner in the brigg who happened to look like your Uncle Larry. "Those are some BIG swords! Captain Miles Hook Edgeworth is THE MAN!"_

"Larry in the brigg, huh?" Edgeworth smirked. "I'm beginning to quite enjoy this story."

"Well he tried to steal the treasure!"

"What treasure!" Gregory huffed, rubbing a sleepy eye as he whined in a cranky voice. "Where is this all even taking place? Gourd Lake is waaaay too tiny for this, and local authorities would have never allowed such a disruption of the peace. Did we somehow teleport into international waters?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"The treasure was Aunt Franziska. Uncle Larry tried to get her to model for one of his children's books."

"Oh."

_And so, after a long and grueling battle, with a final graceful but powerful thrust, Captain Miles Long John Silver Edgeworth defeated Pirate King von Karma!_

_"No please!" Pleaded von Karma from the floor like the yellow-bellied scoundrel he was. "I'm not even the real Pirate King! Spare me, Captain Miles Crunch Edgeworth! I am but a servant!"_

_"I will spare you, if you call off the forced engagement, and return to a life of peace." said Miles Threepwood Edgeworth as he holstered his sword._

_"It's not my place to say! Ask the REAL pirate king!"_

_"Then… who is he?" he inquired without a trace of fear in his voice, drawing his sword once more in preparation._

_And with a flourish, Captain Miles Malcolm Reynolds Edgeworth had his sword knocked out of his hands by the true and most fearsome Pirate King._

_There stood Maya Fey, in full and beautiful pirate lady attire!_

"Maya? You're marrying yourself?" Now she'd lost him.

Maya only shook her head. "No, my foolish beloved. I'm married to my JOB."

_"As Master of Kurai—I mean Pirate King!"_

_"But... I thought you were unhappy with your work!"_

_"True dat. But not like I'm good at anything else." Said the Pirate Queen, eyes downcast._

Edgeworth paused to think. He didn't really know the story in this medium, but he could probably figure out where she was taking this with a little reasoning. von Karma had been the first obstacle, but Edgeworth hadn't been the only one with scars from the past. Maya's own guardian, that dreadful Morgan woman, had constantly belittled Maya in her youth; ever quick to point out every flaw and minor mistake in anything she did. As a result, while Maya was outgoing and lacked no confidence, she still had very low self-worth. Add to that how Wright had cast her aside, even if it had been for her own protection, and Maya hadn't thought she was wanted or needed anywhere. She saw herself only as a burden. Oh, how wrong she'd been…

"But… you just disarmed me." Edgeworth said. "You have raw skill, you only need harness it."

_"Why not join me?"_

_"Join… you?" The Pirate Queen brought a hand to her chest to still her beating heart. "You mean, you'd train me to be a lawyering buccaneer like you and your motley crew?"_

_"Hey! Who ya callin' motley, pal?"_

_"Indeed, some work as an apprentice and you'll be ready in no time." He held out a single gloved hand across the threshold. "What say you, m'lady?"_

_"I say... I LOVE YOU CAPTAIN MILES EMINEM EDGEWORTH!"_

"Eminem? He doesn't have anything to do with piracy!"

"He so does, Miles! What do you call it when people download his albums off the internet?"

Edgeworth pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly. "Maya, need I remind you that you're married to a prosecutor? Please don't confess to illegally pirating copyrighted material in my presence." She knew he would never file a charge against her for anything, but it still made his moral indignation flare up. Not to mention he didn't like having his name linked to anything as crass as a rapper, even a long retired one.

"Oh whatever, you big hypocrite!" Maya jabbed at his chest pointedly. "Whenever we miss an episode of the Zappy Samurai, who's the first one running to the computer to find a torrent?"

"I buy the box-sets afterwards!"

"Meager excuses. The defense rests."

"Fine, not guilty. Never bring it up again."

"Now where was I…? Ah yes!"

_ "I LOVE YOU MILES PAVAROTTI EDGEWORTH!"_

Edgeworth opened his mouth to correct Maya's continuity error, but then thought better of it and promptly shut his know-it-all trap. Besides, at least she'd associated him with an artist of class this time.

_The former Pirate Queen ran into her beloved's arms and kissed him, all dramatic and movie style._

_Ooh! Ooh! And he returned it, dipping her romantically!_

That was ridiculous. The first time Maya had kissed him, Edgeworth had bolted from the vicinity like a gazelle from a ravenous lion. Still, it was a nice ego boost to know Maya still thought of him as dashing.

_And so her cabin girl, Pearl Victoria Fey, became the new Pirate Queen, while Captain Miles Happily Ever After Edgeworth and his lady were wed and sailed the seas together in search of adventure, till Davy Jones locker do they part._

"Remember?"

Edgeworth smiled warmly. When had frivolity become so precious to him? "Something like that." He held her tight and leaned over to kiss her slowly, deeply.

It was Maya who pulled back first. "Eh." She shrugged. "As long as I end up with you, the rest is just details."

Edgeworth nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

"So what do you think of that story, Mr. Critic?" Maya teased, turning back to Gregory.

He didn't respond, eyes shut and mouth hanging slightly open as he slept soundly. No wonder he hadn't raised a single objection for the last few parts of the story.

Maya pulled the covers over him maternally, giving his forehead a sweet little peck and whispering a loving, "Goodnight Gregory."

Edgeworth reached over, pretending to brush his loose bangs out of his eyes as an excuse to caress his boy's head. Then he helped Maya to her feet, holding her waist to support her as he stood.

"Now let's get you into bed. You shouldn't be straining yourself."

Maya clicked her tongue and replied in a hushed voice, "You're such a drama llama, you know that? I'm fine. I'm not exactly a weakling, you know."

Miles leaned down to kiss the crown of her head, running a protective hand over the swell of her belly as he whispered against her hair, "Far from it. But there is nothing in existence as precious to me as the three of you." He turned and carefully led her from Gregory's bedroom, towards their own.

It was one of life's unpredictable and yet wonderful ironies. After all the pain he had caused Maya over not wanting the first pregnancy, it was Edgeworth who had turned to Maya one warm summer's night as they lay sleepy and satisfied from their love-making, and asked her if she'd give him a daughter. He adored his son like nothing else, but he missed having a small child to hold and wanted a miniature Maya more than anything in the world.

It was his redemption as well, a second chance to be the doting husband he should have been the first time around. He wanted to give her everything she needed, to wait on her hand and foot regardless of the hour, to take her hormonal swings in mood with patience, and to hold her comfortingly when the child growing inside her caused her discomfort.

He wanted to help her name their daughter.

"So…" Maya fixed him a wicked grin as he helped her lower herself onto their bed, "now that the story's over, how about an encore? Eh Captain?"

Edgeworth pulled back the covers to join her and returned her look. "Brava. I say…" what was the term? "anchors away."

Maya giggled maniacally at his cliché as he carefully brought her to him and positioned himself.

"Oh hoh, still have a little of that Pirate Queen in you, do you?"

"Oh nooo!" Maya fought to stifle her laughter, lest she wake Gregory, as Edgeworth nipped at her ear. "Gonna fight it outta me?"

Edgeworth heaved a long suffering sigh. "If I must."

"Oh, I insist!"

"Hahaha, Engarde then!

"Corrida ole!"

As he moved in her, Edgeworth concluded that perhaps sometimes people needed to romanticize a bit, to exaggerate the good and downplay the evil. Perhaps a broken man who had run terrified from any sort of intimacy, granted that he returned to do penance and redeem himself, should be remembered as a dashing bedtime story hero. After all, every miraculous moment he had with Maya now was a product of misfortune on both their parts as well as that of their dearest friend; a stolen sort of happiness. But for all his fixating on decorum and obsessing over respectability, on absolute truth, Edgeworth found he could live with the impropriety of it all.

"Oh stars, Miles…"

Because perhaps there were situations in life where a little bit of piracy was exactly appropriate.

* * *

Please review if you'd be so kind.


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